PO3FAR-The Far Right

Module Provider: School of Politics, Economics and International Relations
Number of credits: 20 [10 ECTS credits]
Level:6
Terms in which taught: Spring term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2022/3

Module Convenor: Dr Robert Huber
Email: robert.huber@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

Far right parties are on the rise across Europe. Their shared populist rhetoric, emphasis on sovereignty and policies that promote a ‘national preference’ has facilitated the term ‘the new nationalism’. How may we explain this phenomenon? Is it driven by demand or supply-side dynamics? Are different European far right parties comparable? What are their similarities and differences? This course provides a broad overview of the theories and approaches to the study of the far right across Europe, focusing on the commonalities and differences in support for such parties across case and circumstance.

Aims:

This course aims to analyse the demand and supply-side dimensions of far right party support across Europe. Specifically, it aims to:

• acquaint students with key terms such as far right, populism, radical right and the ‘new nationalism’;


• enhance students’ understanding of the different political and international dimensions of the far right and the ‘new nationalism’;


• provide students with the necessary theoretical and methodological tools to understand the current rise of far right parties by comparing across cases and across time.

Assessable learning outcomes:

• Ability to critically assess theories and approaches that explain far right party support.


• Ability to develop viable arguments about the rise of the far right.


• Capacity to nuance, unpack and conceptualize the various manifestations of far right politics and understand variation in terms of demand and supply depending on case specific circumstances.


• Ability to apply relevant theoretical materials on case studies.

Additional outcomes:

Outline content:

Please note, this module content is indicative only and may be subject to minor changes.

1. Introduction- welcome to the course and broad overview of definitions and approaches


2. What is the Far Right?


3. Theories of Support: Demand


4. Theories of Support: Supply


5. The Far Right in Northern Europe


6. Enhancement week: Movie (‘American History X’ and ‘Hannah Arendt’, ‘This is England’, ‘The Killing Fields’ and ‘Birth of a Nation’)


7. The Far Right in Southern Europe


8. The Far Right in Eastern Europe


9. Extreme Right Groups and Grass Roots Movements


10. The Far Right and Climate Change


11. Other Forms of Political Extremism: The Far Left

Global context:

As above.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

• A set of ten lectures


• A weekly seminar


• Student presentations and directed discussions during the weekly seminar


• One essay worth 50% of the overall mark


• Individual consultations with lecturer.


• Independent study.

Contact hours:

	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Lectures		10
Seminars		15
Guided independent study:		155	20
Total hours by term	0	180	20
Total hours for module	200

Summative Assessment Methods:

Method	Percentage
Written assignment including essay	50
Project output other than dissertation	40
Oral assessment and presentation	10

Summative assessment- Examinations:

There is no summer term examination for this module.

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

The following forms of assessment apply to this module:

1. A 2,000 word project report on one of the movies from the syllabus will be due on the last Thursday of the spring term (40%).


2. Students will write one 4,000 word essay due in the Summer term (50%).


3. Students are expected to attend and participate in class throughout the duration of the module. They are expected to do one presentation, which will count for 10% of the overall mark

Formative assessment methods:

Penalties for late submission:

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of five working days;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than five working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/cqsd-old-site-documents/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf
You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Assessment requirements for a pass:

40%

Reassessment arrangements:

Coursework: any formally assessed coursework over the 40% threshold will be carried forward unless a student opts to re-submit this element as well as taking the examination. Any coursework with a mark of less than 40% should be re-submitted. In both cases the deadline for re-submission is 1 August.

Students are allowed to resubmit coursework on the same topic as for a previous attempt, and coursework which had previously been submitted late can be re-submitted for a second attempt.

Additional Costs (specified where applicable):

Last updated: 20 February 2023